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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27680528">Paper Flowers</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTPot/pseuds/TheTPot'>TheTPot</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>First Time, Friendship/Love, Future Fic, Intimacy, M/M, Post-Canon, Unresolved Romantic Tension</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 00:56:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,517</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27680528</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTPot/pseuds/TheTPot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>On a winter day in Ba Sing Se, Aang and Zuko find their way to each other.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aang/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>144</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Paper Flowers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the eight years since Ozai's defeat, the Earth King has grown to be a capable monarch, but by no means a conventional one. Exotic animals themselves are not a rarity in the courts of royalty, but where others might have taken care to select a trained animal and bring along an animal handler, in the Earth King's palace, things move at a different pace.</p><p>
  <span>Zuko scratches his ear and fights to keep a straight face as a delicate note of fox antelope shit diffuses through the throne room. The animal itself sits beatifically a mere thirty feet from the Earth King and the other dignitaries in the room shift.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Beside him, Aang coughs politely to cover the gesture of bending air away from them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, I think that concludes matters, Earth King Kuei," Zuko says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Not at all, Fire Lord Zuko. You haven't even seen my latest troupe of dancers yet! I found them in Yu Dao and they're a sight to behold."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His words are punctuated by a crash of cymbals from the door of the throne room and Zuko turns, bemused, as a train of dancers and instrumentalists march in. This time, he does glance at Aang, helpless to hold back a laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang's eyes are bright in a way they only ever are when a meeting ends early or takes an unexpected turn. "At least it's not as boring as your Fire Nation meetings," Aang says with another push of air away from them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Can you point it in his direction so we can get out of here faster?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You raise a fair point, Fire Lord."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten minutes later as they're leaving the Earth Palace with the crash of discordant music still ringing in their ears, Aang nudges Zuko in the ribs and says, "I thought you'd send your minister again. This is a nice surprise."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko relaxes into Aang's casual touch with ease. It's been months since they last saw each other but every time they meet, it's like no time has passed. "Things are quiet back home and it was a good time for a break. Besides, Eizo spends enough time in Ba Sing Se as it is."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good old Eizo. He really does look like he's in pain during every meeting."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's because he is," Zuko says. "He deserves a break." Eizo is a rare holdover from Ozai's days, a quick-witted and seasoned career politician with excellent knowledge of the Earth Kingdom. Zuko had been cautious with his choice, as he had been with anyone from Ozai's government. Dismissing the institutional knowledge of Ozai's government was something Iroh had advised him against, so Zuko has spent the past eight years removing key figures while reassigning others in places where their talents serve him best. Eizo is one of many ministers to have earned his trust, and Zuko hasn't made it easy to earn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're thinking about work," Aang says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just barely," Zuko says, a pointless heat rising to his face. Warmth still sits in his body where Aang nudged him, and after months of sitting through dragging meetings back home, his eyes feel wide open and a smile comes easier to his face. He hasn't really finished the thought before he is removing the heavy top layers of his Fire Lord robes until he is down to the fitted pants and sharply tailored shirt he wears underneath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang's eyebrows rise. "What are you doing?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Losing some layers so we can walk around town. It's a beautiful day, let's do whatever we want." Zuko calls an attendant over to take the robes and when he turns back, Aang's gaze is on him. There is nothing inappropriate about the look but the intensity of Aang's regard snags at Zuko's attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I know just the place," Aang says. "They make the best egg custard tarts."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They could get Appa but they walk instead, through the Palace gates to the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se. They don't linger there, neither one of them partial to the stately streets and quiet shops.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They make a beeline for the Middle Ring. Here, with Aang next to him, under a bright winter sun, the Middle Ring of Ba Sing Se is bursting with energy. They are noticed as they pass through and Aang switches automatically into a performative demeanor, begins to moves through the crowd with ease, dropping whizzing marbles and paper flowers into children's hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A little girl catches Zuko's attention. She holds the paper flower Aang gives her with wide-eyed reverence, but someone bumps into her. When she looks down at her hand, the paper flower sits crushed. Disappointment transforms her entire face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko kneels next to her and in the next instant, Aang is there too, their shoulders brushing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey, Avatar Aang," Zuko says in a playful tone that gets the kid's attention. "Do you think we could get the little lady here another flower?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang reaches behind his ear and pulls out two flowers with a flourish. "One for you, my lady, and one for someone who makes you smile today."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The little girl holds one close to her chest and with a shy smile, holds the other one out to Aang.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You've got plenty of smiles left for today." Aang folds his hand over the girl's hand and gently pushes the other flower to her chest. He winks at her and in the next instant, he is gone, moving further down the crowd, leaving the air next to Zuko feeling cold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl turns to look at Zuko as if struggling to process.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, I know," he says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It takes a few minutes to ensure that the girl has someone with her and once he is certain, Zuko trails after Aang. He turns a corner to find that all traces of the crowd have dispersed. Aang is talking to a street vendor and the street has returned to an everyday calm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Where did everybody go?" Zuko asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, I just told them I wanted some quiet time with a friend," Aang says with a grin, as he hands over an egg custard tart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And they listened?" Zuko asks, bemused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh yeah, they're really sweet about it." Aang takes a big bite of his tart and chews as he says, "They're pretty bored of the Avatar after eight years so it's not too hard to convince them."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko raises an eyebrow and takes a bite of his egg custard tart. He takes a moment to savor the flaky tart shell and the smooth thickness of the custard on his tongue, and pointedly chews his entire bite before saying, "How could anyone be bored of you? You made that kid's day."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang's face eases into a smile. "You think so?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Of course. Don't you?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang shrugs, and they are quiet as they walk away from the food cart, steps unhurried, pace languid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Aang?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't you think so?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang shoots him a smile that is sweet yet uncharacteristically reserved. "I don't know, I suppose."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What is it?" Zuko asks gently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I guess I didn't realize until now that I didn't really think so. Maybe I'm just a bit tired," Aang says sheepishly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Do you want to go home?" Zuko tamps down on his disappointment even as he forces himself to say the words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No," Aang says quickly. "Not tired like that, just… tired."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko relaxes and squeezes Aang's shoulder. "I understand." Tiredness is like an old friend to them both, a consequence of responsibility and a compounding force in their lives, as constant as their dearest friends.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang eases too and shrugs again, a little helplessly. "We can be tired together."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good, because that burst of energy from earlier isn't going to last very long." Zuko pauses and then deadpans, "And… it's gone."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang chuckles. "I know just the place for a nap, old man."</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>They don't go to the park with the intention of actually napping, but as the sun rises higher in the sky and the day warms marginally, Zuko's eyes droop shut under the shade of an oak tree. Next to him, Aang is chewing on dried figs and in the distance, a family of six is chattering gently. The two youngest are restless and tired after two laps running through the park, and the parents talk in gentle, authoritative tones, easing them both down from their exertion with a drink of water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko doesn’t see any of it, but the sounds play out as vivid as a dream behind his closed eyes. He feels himself floating somewhere between waking and dreaming, a sweet lightness to his body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He doesn't know how much time passes but the father begins to read to the family. They are too far away to make out the words but Zuko recognizes the cadence of story-telling in his voice. The children exclaim and react, and through their voices, he follows the progression of the story from the rising tension through to the resolution.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Deep in his chest, a knot of exhaustion unravels. He breathes deeper, and somewhere in this floating space, he hears Aang breathe in too. It's a remnant of their firebending training, the habit of syncing his breathing to Zuko's as they move through the forms together. In his memories of Ember Island and the Western Air Temple, the colors seem brighter and the nights spent around the campfire even longer. It is those memories his mind warps into fancy in his pre-dream state, and he doesn't know when he crosses over into sleep but it is to the thought of days long since passed.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>When he wakes, Zuko does so easily, no nightmares dumping nervous energy into his blood. He has more peaceful nights than not these days. With each passing year, the Fire Nation settles deeper into the new normal and Zuko does the same. He knows it is thanks to his guiding hand, but when he looks back, he can't for the life of him remember how he managed to get from there to here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It feels like a haze, a pain his mind has forcibly purged so that he may enjoy the peace now that he has it. Out there, spanning the entire Earth Kingdom, he knows there are cities renewed after years free from the Fire Nation's tight grip on their resources. He knows there is peace now because of the policies he and Kuei have enacted together. And yet, at that moment, all of it feels miniscule compared to the peace of enjoying a quiet moment with Aang asleep next to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang. Who is sprawled next to him, fast asleep, dried figs curled close to his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In time, Aang stirs awake too. Zuko watches as he blinks and remembers where they are and who he's with. It's a moment's dance of realization and then Aang's face relaxes, and with it, Zuko lets what he feels settle into his bones.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's easier to escape when he is thinking about work, but here, he doesn’t run from it. He lets himself look. Aang lays there with his hands on his stomach, blinking up at the leaves of the oak tree, and squints every now and then when the leaves shift and the sun hits his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good nap?" Aang asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The best in ages."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, me too." He looks down to bat absently at the dried figs smushed to his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko wishes he didn't know Aang well enough to know that he's giving him a chance to look away, to reign in the energy buzzing between them, what Zuko has allowed to encroach into this space. If he didn't know, he could claim ignorance for still looking. But he knows, and he doesn't take the option Aang has laid out for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang collects the figs and looks up, right at Zuko. They don't say anything and the moment stretches on too long. It would be as easy as saying it, Zuko already knows. Aang would never be cruel. And yet, Zuko doesn't want the kindness of a rejection. After so long, what he's allowed himself to feel is simply the answer to what's kept him away from Aang for months.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Zuko," Aang says, dropping the word into the space between them. He reaches over and matter-of-factly brushes the grass from Zuko's shirt. Then, as if he has not the slightest clue that anything is awry, he gets to his feet and holds his hand out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko takes it without a word, still reeling from the shift in the space between them. Aang lifts him effortlessly and for a second, their hands are trapped between their bodies, the two of them looking level at each other. A part of him understands and another is still yet to catch up when Aang breaks away and says, "Lunch?"</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>The restaurant is cramped with four tables jammed close together, and the interior is warm with steam rising off a mighty vat of soup. A table magically empties for them and Aang laces a litany of grateful words through the air. Within moments, they're jammed together on rickety chairs, bowls of soup clutched in their hands with the sounds and laughter of Earth Kingdom folk ringing in the small space.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I haven't been anywhere like this in a long time," Zuko says over the noise and Aang leans in close to hear him. Zuko is distinctly aware of Aang's knee pressing into his leg as he braces his weight against him. Even though they are very far from the park, whatever had asserted itself in the space between them has followed them here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko has felt this feeling morph into a hundred shapes in the past several years but this close to Aang, with the rarefied quality of the air between them on this day of all days, he feels it like a pull in his gut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Do you like the soup?" Aang calls over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko nods mutely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The owner gave me the recipe after I helped her son out with some gamblers," Aang says with a wide grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You get to do this any time you like?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang gives him a confused look. "You know I do."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I know, but it's different to be here with you." Zuko gestures vaguely in the general direction of all the people crowding the space. The chatter is constant, the sense of this being a community space complete. There is no security detail blocking his view and no threat of Ozai loyalists this far from the Fire Nation. "I don't get to do this… ever."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I know. That's why I brought you here." Aang's smile is kind, and there is no reserve in the way he lets his regard shine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko smiles too, and it's as easy as breathing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time they finish their soup, Aang is chatting with the owner, a woman who matter-of-factly wipes down their table and doesn't look the least bit starstruck. She doesn't avoid Zuko's gaze like most people tend to but instead looks openly between the two of them. "I've never seen anyone so flustered by <em>soup</em> before," she says to Zuko with a private smirk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko's face is already flushed from the heat of the soup, the warmth thick in the shop, and the press of Aang's body close to him for minutes on end. The impulse to duck his head at the woman's double meaning is strong, but even though he's not anywhere close to home, it doesn't mean he's not still the Fire Lord. He bows and properly says, "It's the best soup I've had in a long time."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman shoots Aang a wry look, her skepticism clear as day on her face. But it is a playful look that suits her, and she accepts the compliment with grace. "I find myself believing you, Fire Lord."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang chuckles beside him. "Thank you, Saya. It was a pleasure."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Anytime, Avatar Aang. And you too, Fire Lord. Maybe we'll see more of you around these parts, now that my soup has bewitched you," Saya teases.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko smiles weakly. They empty the table for someone else to take and squeeze out of the short, narrow doorway into the cool early evening. Zuko takes a deep, bracing breath and beside him, Aang laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you alright?" he asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko nods and gestures them away from the crowd and into a quiet residential street. Their hands brush together and Zuko wants to positively jump out of his skin. It feels awfully like the universe is playing a joke on him for daring to even acknowledge his own feelings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang leans his body into Zuko's to give him a gentle nudge and in the same motion, holds a paper flower out in his palm. "Cheer up, Zuko. Saya was just joking, she does that a lot."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Poke fun at people?" Zuko mutters. He's happy to admit it's petulant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I think it's how she makes friends," Aang says in that uncomplicated way of his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko feels a fine surge of annoyance peak under his skin. "She wasn't talking about soup, Aang."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang's gaze is fixed somewhere in the middle distance as he nods. "I know."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko's not sure if they've both even understood the same thing, and he opens his mouth to ask but Aang cuts him off by waving the paper flower emphatically in his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If you don't take it, I'm going to give it to Saya instead."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko smiles despite himself and takes it, putting on his most unconvincing show of reluctance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang acknowledges the performance with an affectionate smile. "Do you want some dessert?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko drags his fingers along the crinkled edges of the paper flower and shakes his head. "You're feeding me with a vengeance today."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're less grumpy when you're full," Aang says with another gentle nudge. "It works out for the both of us."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Better for you, you mean. I'm too full of soup to firebend at you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Like you'd ever firebend at me," Aang teases.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko only has to raise his eyebrows for them to dissolve into laughter at the irony of that statement. This time when Aang leans into him, he lingers for longer than a nudge. Zuko doesn't overthink it, just lets his arm slide around Aang's shoulders and pulls him in close, their bodies fitting comfortably together even as they walk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You know this won't work in about a year when I'm taller than you," Aang says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well then next year, you can put your arm around my shoulder instead," Zuko says. He's smiling too wide, he knows. He looks like a goof, he knows that too. Just as he knows that even if he could hold it in, he wouldn't.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the early evening, the streets are quieter than before. They wind their way through wider avenues to narrower streets, to houses stacked on top of each other, the stray sounds of life filtering through open windows. A cat yowling, a broom sweeping, water being pumped from a well, the sound of families chattering. It is a quality of ordinary sound that settles like a heavy blanket on his shoulders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang gently dislodges himself from Zuko's grip and gives him a long look. "I know what Saya meant, but if you need me to pretend like I don't, I can do that."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A peculiar energy overtakes Zuko, the sort that only ever suffuses him in the middle of a fight, and he doesn't have to struggle to find the words. "I don't need you to pretend," he says quietly. And just like that, he finds himself in a space beyond fear, a place only of clarity and patience.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What do you need then?" Aang asks. His voice doesn’t tremble but Zuko still picks up on the tight press of apprehension tamping down on his words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't need anything more than what I have already," Zuko says. Aang smiles a bit helplessly, but Zuko touches his fingers to his and waits for him to meet his eyes so that he will believe him when he says: "But I do want more."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang's gaze becomes guarded and Zuko sees the reasoning play out behind his eyes, sees him trying to convince himself that something has been misunderstood, that they've been speaking too much in analogies and metaphors. So he grasps Aang's hand in his and brings it to his chest, right over his heart, and steps close, close enough that they would never find themselves like this except during training or in passing. He stays there and he lets Aang understand that there has been no misunderstanding.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Somewhere in the Upper Ring, there are designated guest houses for each of them, but as the sun dips below the buildings and the sky darkens, they wind their way instead to a three-storey building, scuffed and aged in its appearance. Potted plants sit cluttered in the windowsills of the homes and laundry hangs on the narrow balconies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang leads him up, and although they don't touch, they linger closer together than they ever have before. Zuko's heart works its hardest to make a permanent home in his throat. What he's felt for so long as only a clean, staid feeling morphs with each passing second into a messy, insistent pull in his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They climb one flight of stairs and then another, passing by a sprawling menagerie of shoes by each door. The hallways of the building are wider than he would have expected, the windows at each flight letting light into the stairwells.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, they reach the top floor and Aang leads Zuko into the place he calls home in Ba Sing Se. It is an open space, uncluttered by furniture, with tall windows that scatter light onto the wooden floors. Potted plants are scattered through the space in such a clashing array of pots that Zuko guesses they are gifts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The neighbors really like plants," Aang says with a sheepish grin and then lapses into silence, looking about the space around him like he's seeing it for the first time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko waits, leans his back against the door so that he isn’t crowding Aang, isn't giving any indication that he is here to rush into… anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang takes in Zuko's stance and smiles softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko smiles too. He's helpless to stop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang is the one who reaches for him, touches his hand to Zuko's shoulder, and pulls him in for a hug. His arms are strong and familiar around Zuko's body. It is as it always is, and when their mouths meet in a kiss, it feels like the easiest thing in the world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a suspended moment, their limbs clash as they adjust - Aang trying to get his arms around Zuko's shoulders and Zuko trying to cup Aang's face with both of his hands. And then they settle and Aang's body sags against Zuko's, pushes him completely against the door. There is intent behind the motion, manifested in a way that steals the breath from Zuko's lungs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They kiss for what feels like endless minutes. Zuko runs his fingers over every inch of Aang he's watched from afar for years. The dip in his collarbone, the pinprick of new hair on his head, the knick of a scar behind his ear and another on his browbone. And in turn, Aang's touch flits from his chest to his shoulders, up to his head where he removes the crown-piece and the bun with such ease that Zuko chuckles against his lips. "Even I can't do that," he murmurs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang answers by running his fingers through Zuko's hair and skimming his teeth across his jaw.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko's body jolts in response and Aang laughs softly against his skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minutes <em>have</em> passed, Zuko is certain, but their hands don't wander below belts, don't wander anywhere really, even though he can feel Aang hard against him as surely as Aang can feel him in turn. He pulls away gently and rests his head against the door, and Aang eases back too, his face and neck flushed, and his eyes bright in a way Zuko has never seen before. He runs a finger along Aang's cheekbone and follows the path of the tears that streak his face, down until he is resting a steadying hand against the airbender's chest. "Are you alright?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang nods wordlessly and covers Zuko's hand with his own. His chest heaves under their hands and Zuko feels the sob build up in Aang's chest just as his face crumples. "Just tired." And then he's crying in earnest, burrowing his face against Zuko's neck and holding onto him like his life depends on it. His sobs are deep and racking and shake both of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm here, I've got you," Zuko murmurs into Aang's skin, and his chest aches with how much he means it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I know," Aang says. Another sob, coupled with a laugh this time. "I know, Zuko. You've always had me."</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>They lay on the futon in the quiet of the night, illuminated only by the fall of moonlight. The cold air blowing through the window raises goosebumps on Zuko's skin and Aang traces them with his hand. The motion is aimless, almost on the verge of sleep, but when Zuko glances at Aang, he's wide awake and looking right at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko shifts onto his side and fits his hand against Aang's cheek, presses a soft kiss to his lips. They smile against each other's lips, and it is like breathing, like being alive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Still tired?" Zuko says softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang smiles. "I wasn't just tired. Mostly…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Overwhelmed."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang nods and presses his forehead to Zuko's. "I never dared to imagine."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The words snag them both, and Zuko laughs without humor. "I wasted so much time, trying my best not to."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How long?" Aang asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Always</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he wants to say, but it's not what Aang is asking. He's loved him for as long as he's known him, but he's only learned how to want him in the past two. He says the same and Aang's face softens. "You?" Zuko asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Since Sozin's comet," Aang says. "But I didn't have a name for it until after Katara."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Four years," Zuko whispers in amazement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang shrugs and settles in closer. Their legs tangle easily together and Zuko presses Aang to his chest, squeezing him until he laughs against his neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you making up for lost time?" Aang says and nips at his skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, we have all the time we need," he says. "Enough time for everything."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Everything?" Aang says and jokingly yanks at the waistband of the trousers they still wear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"More than enough," Zuko says. He reaches over to where their shirts lay crumpled together and retrieves the paper flower from the pocket. It stands a little rumpled but the ruby red of it is potent even in the muted light of night. He feels a little silly as he brings it to his lips to press a kiss to the petals, but the way Aang looks at him as he hands it to him is enough.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Find me on <a href="https://thetpot.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a>.</p><p>This is the first bit of fanfiction I've written in over 10 years! I love this ship, always have and always will, and wrote this little one-shot while I work on a longer Zukaang piece that deals more heavily with history, politics and intrigue.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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